I'm not a party in Dabholkar, Pansare cases, says Devendra Fadnavis
Mumbai, Jun 20: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Thursday said that, he is not a party to the cases related to the killing of rationalists Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare and asserted oral remarks by courts are not judicial orders.
Fadnavis, who also holds the home portfolio, made the statement in the Legislative Assembly in the backdrop of the Bombay High Court in March making strong observations against him in connection with the pace of investigation into the two high profiles cases.
"I am neither a respondent nor an accused in the cases. Oral remarks (by courts) are not judicial opinion or orders," the chief minister said, citing previous court orders.
Fadnavis said there is clear separation of powers of judiciary and legislature and this arrangement has to be respected.
In March-end, the HC had expressed displeasure over the pace of probe into the killing of Dabholkar (August 2013) and Pansare (February 2015), asking whether the chief minister did not have time to take stock of the cases.
The CBI is probing the Dabholkar killing case, while the state CID is probing the Pansare matter.
"What is the CM doing? He holds 11 portfolios, including home, but does not find the time to take stock of the case," the court had said.
Fadnavis was Thursday replying to the debate on Governor Vidyasagar Rao's address to the joint session of the state legislature made in February.
During his speech, the chief minister touched upon a host of issues, including the proposed water grid in drought- hit Marathwada and `Jalyukt Shivar', his government's flagship water conservation programme.
He said all tenders for a planned water grid in the parched Marathwada region will be invited before the model code for the assembly polls, likely in October, kicks in.
"The first DPR (detailed project report) and tender will be issued next month and we plan to bring maximum tenders before the election code of conduct comes into force," he said.
The state government is committed to provide tap water to every household, Fadnavis said.
Speaking about Jalyukt Shivar, he said due to the success of the scheme, intensity of drought in the state has been less.
The project, which aims to make the state drought- free, involves deepening and widening of streams, construction of cement and earthen stop dams, work on nullahs and digging of farm ponds.
"There is no scope for corruption in Jalyukt Shivar.
The nature of work is very small. If quality of work is bad, the work is redone...Jalyukt Shivar is not to create water bodies but to store water," he said.
Referring to the farm loan waiver announced two years ago, Fadnavis said debt write-off up to Rs 1.5 lakh is unconditional.
"The earlier figures of Rs 34,000 crore (the size of loan waiver) and 89 lakh farmers (the number of beneficiaries) were given by banks. Later, the banks deleted 11 lakh accounts," he said.
The chief minister said out of the 50 lakh farmer accounts, 43.32 lakh accounts have been credited with loan waiver amount.
Fadnavis said despite the prevailing drought in parts of the state, foodgrain production has increased.
"This has happened because irrigation capacity has increased. Soya bean production has increased by 16 per cent and cotton production has increased by 17 per cent," he said.
Fadnavis said the upcoming memorial to Dalit icon B R Ambedkar at Indu Mills in Dadar, Central Mumbai, will be completed by December 2020.
The Navi Mumbai International Airport construction is going on as per schedule, he added.
On the controversy over Marathi medium Class II mathematics text book brought out by state publisher Balbharati, Fadnavis said syllabus changes as per learning ability of students.
"The teaching system has not changed. It is an unnecessary controversy," he said.
The CM said if necessary a committee of educational experts will be set up to find out if the new syllabus is appropriate or not.
On Muslim reservation demand, Fadnavis said the quota provision for economically weaker sections is applicable for the minority community as well.
"The 10 per cent economically weaker section quota is applicable for backward classes among minorities as well," he said.
Fadnavis said there will never be any bias against minorities and maintained development is one of the focus areas of his government.
As many as 1.5 lakh government posts will be filled in two years, he said.
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Domestic LPG price hiked by Rs 60 per cylinder to Rs 913
New Delhi (PTI): Domestic cooking gas LPG price on Saturday was hiked by a steep Rs 60 per cylinder, the second increase in rate in less than a year, as oil companies pass on a part of the spike in global energy rates that followed the West Asia crisis.
Non-subsidised LPG - the one that common households use in kitchens - will now cost Rs 913 per 14.2-kg cylinder in Delhi as against Rs 853 previously, according to the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) website.
Ujjwala Yojana beneficiaries - the over 10 crore poor who have got free LPG connection since 2016 - will also have to bear the same amount of price increase. They will now pay Rs 613 per 14.2 kg cylinder after accounting for a subsidy of Rs 300 per bottle they get for up to 12 refills in a year.
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The price increase, the website showed, is effective from March 7.
This is the second increase in rate in 11 months. The price was last hiked by Rs 50 in April last year.
Alongside, the price of commercial LPG - the one used by establishments such as hotels and restaurants - was increased by Rs 114.5 per 19-kg cylinder. It now costs Rs 1,883 in Delhi. This increase comes on top of Rs 28 per 19-kg cylinder raise effected on March 1.
Commercial LPG rate has risen by Rs 302.50 this year.
Industry officials said the increase follows a steep rise in global energy prices since the US and Israel attack on Iran last weekend triggered a wider military conflict in the oil and gas-rich Middle East.
The conflict has led to a near halt in tanker movement through the Strait of Hormuz -the narrow but critical sea lane between Iran and Oman used by Middle Eastern producers to export oil and gas to global markets. The disruption has sharply curtailed energy shipments from the region, triggering a spike in global oil and gas prices.
Since the conflict broke out on February 28, US crude soared 35.63 per cent for the biggest weekly gain in the history of the futures contract dating back to 1983. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures closed at USD 90.90 per barrel. Brent jumped about 28 per cent for its biggest weekly gain since April 2020, to settle at USD 92.69 per barrel.
Asian spot prices for liquefied natural gas (LNG) have also jumped to around USD 25.40 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) - a three-year high and more than double of last week's levels of around USD 10 per mmBtu amid fears of supply disruptions and halted exports from Qatar.
LPG markets have also tightened as shipments from key Gulf exporters face logistical disruptions, pushing international propane and butane benchmarks higher and raising concerns over supply availability for major importers such as India.
Despite Saturday's price increase, cooking gas in India is priced at the lowest when compared with neighbouring countries, industry officials said.
In Mumbai, non-subsidised LPG now costs Rs 912.50, Rs 939 in Kolkata and Rs 928.50 in Chennai, according to the IOC website.
Rates differ from state to state depending on the incidence of local sales tax or VAT.
The Strait of Hormuz is also a critical conduit for India's energy imports, with roughly half of the crude oil the country buys from overseas transiting through the narrow waterway. In addition, nearly 40 per cent of India's natural gas imports, largely in the form of LNG from Gulf suppliers like Qatar and the UAE, also pass through the strait.
For LPG, the strait is more important. India consumed 31.3 million tonne of LPG in 2024-25, of which only 12.8 million tonne were produced domestically, with the remainder imported. Of the imported quantity, 85-90 per cent come from countries like Saudi Arabia that rely on the Strait of Hormuz for transit.
The Strait has been effectively blocked following a week-old escalation in the region, after US and Israeli strikes on Iran prompted Tehran to retaliate against US bases in neighbouring countries.
To augment domestic supplies, the government on Friday invoked sparingly used emergency powers to direct oil refineries to ramp up LPG production.
